Filler member



Aug. 3, 1937. F. P. uPHuEs 2,088933 FILLER' uEMBEn Filed uarch 80, 1936 Pasma Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE FILLEE MEMBER Frank P. Uphues, Chicago, Ill., assiznor to Grane Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application 4March 30,

3 Claims.

creasingly used in connection `therew'ith, the

cabinet units. for example, being added as desired even after the initial sink installation has been made.

However, with the sink being relatively rigid or having a fixed installation within the Kitchen proper, the matter of adapting an extendible construction with the sink installation already made presents a problem from the standpoint of sanitation as well as in maintainingl an unbroken connection therebetween. It is desirable in fixtures of this type to allow easy accessibility for cleaning purposes as well as to provide a relatively smooth connection or finishing joint with the rim of the drainboard that will make due allowance for the curved or rounded enameled surfaces of the sink and thework top and provide a streamline or continuous and unbroken appearance to the work surface formed by the sink and cabinet assembly. It is easily apparent that between such work top or cabinet, the otherwise conventional rounded rim of the sink forms an open crevice or Valley 'which serves as a dirt catcher, and for sundry reasons is insanitary as well as being unattraetive in appearance.

It is well known in the art that in casting or fabricating a kitchen sink it is preferable that the exposed corners of enameld Ware wherever possible are made rounded or filleted in order to facilitate an improved surface from` appearance 40 as well as quality standpoints.

w Thus it is a principal object of this invention to provide a filler strip, preferably metallic or consisting of a composition to form a substantially continuous surface where the tops of the ad- 45 joining cabinets or work tops are placed in abutting relationto the sink, the strip concealing' the connection therebetween.

Another object is to provide a filler strip which may be easily and cheaply attached to the edge 50 of the adjoining cabinet or work top, and while capable of rigid attachment to the cabinet or work top permits such an arrangement without creating'a binding or distorted contact with respect to the sink itself.

55 Another object is to provide for a form of filler 1936, Serial No. 71,803

strip which is readily adapted to the curve'or fillet between the sink drainboard and splash board without the requirement of expensive or diflicult machining or awkward provision for attachment.

Another object is to provide for a filler strip which is readily and economically adaptable to the various widths of sinks and which may also be easily used with a common form of corner filler member.

By means of the novelform of corner filler member devised, I am able to use a single type of corner member for either right o`r left hand sink installations by the simple expedient of removing one or the other of the fllleted ribs provided, as hereinafter described.

Other advantages will become apparent upon proceeding with the following specification, in

which i Fig. 1 is a front view showing a sink and cabinet assembly along the lines above described with an adjoining cabinet in substantially abutting relation with the filler strip in position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a sink and an adjoining cabinet assembly showing more clearly the manner in which the filler strip of my invention is applied thereto so as to provide substantially a streamlined or unbroken connection between the enameled sink and the abutting cabinet or work table top.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line -t of Fig. 2.

Fig. is a plan elevation of the elongated flller strip exclusive of its complementary corner piece.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the corner piece showing side and center ribbing.

Fig. 'I is a plan view of the corner piece, showing general external appearance with preferably gradually tapered edges.

Fig. 8 shows a side view of the corner piece.

Directing attention now to Fig. 1, a conventional cabinet type of kitchen sink is shown with the usual back or Splash-board I and the drainboard 2 with the rolied front rim 3 extending around the sides thereof, ,as indicated at l. The cabinet or work table top 5 is preferably placed in abutting relation with the end of the sink or the side rim 4. 'I'he cabinet top is ordinarily provided with a relatively sharp corner as indicated at 5a as distinguished from the rounded edge of the sink rim, but this need not necessarily be so provided. The sink may be provided with the usnal cabinet 5b. Mention of this arrangement is made in general terms only to show the backiii" ground under which the illler strip constituting my invention may be widely applied.

Preferably, although obviously not necessarily, o

',tions l with the center rib 9 fitting between the end of the sink rim 4 and the abutting cabinet, thus serving as a spacer means therebetween. fI'he center rib 9 is preferably provided with the drilled holes ill by means of which the corner piece may be conveniently attached to the cabinet by the screws i I, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5.

In the particular arrangement as shown in Fig. 5. in order to provide va close connection or fit between the relatively sharp corner of the cabinet and the comer piece, the rib i! is ground oif or machined so as to provide the right-angled corner, as indicated at ll in Fig. 3. However, on the opposite side of the corner piece in which abutting contact is made with the sink, the rib IJ is not removed since its radius of curvature IS is preferably made so as to coincide with the curvature it of the sink i, as shown in Fig. 1. Providing for the sink rim curvature in this manner tends to prevent the accumulation of dust and sediment beneath the comer piece and also provides for a more uniform and positive contact therebetween. Obviously, therefore, depending upon whether the installation of the corner piece 8 is made on the right or left hand side of the sink, either the rib |2 or li may be removed as the installation requirements warrant.

In assembled relation, and preferably abutting the transverse surface I'l of the corner piece 8 is the longitudinal strip 1, which is of general g T-shape cross-section provided as shown in Fig. 4 with a center rib ll, preferably of the same width or thickness as the rib 9 of the corner piece I. The length of this strip 1 is made sufflcient so as to extend preferably to the back of the sink where it abuts the wali, asshownfat i! in Pig. 2. i

However. because of the usual radius of curvature of the illlet lb which is provided on a sink as a preferably-integral connection between the drainboard 2 and the back board I, the iiller piece'l is hollowed out as at 2| with the illleted portion 22 so as to fit the curved rim part lb of the sink without interfering with the straight `and unbroken line connection between the rim of the sink and the abutting edge of the cabinet. This is more clearly shown in the plan elevation in Flg. 2.

The longitudinal extending strip 'i is prefer- ,ably provided with the holes 2| for attachment to the cabinet in the same manner as provided for the corner piece, for example, that is,,by means of the screws ll. In order to further im- -prove the character of the Joint which is formed ,along the line where the comer piece 6 and the strip 'i contact against the sink, it may be desirable to apply putty or plastic cement' in order to form a water-proof joint, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 5.

It is thus apparent that I have obtained a satisfactory finishing ljoint between the relatively curved surfaces of a sink and an adjoining cabinet, shelf or work top. I have succeeded in designing a corner filler that takes up the uneven and curved surfaces of a sink and the side and top of the adjoining cabinet, giving a streamline appearance thereto.

The detailed manner in which this invention is accomplished has been described only for illustrative purposes and the details may vary considerably. I desire, therefore, to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

i. In a filler strip of substantially T-cross-section suitable for insertion' between abutting plane surfaces, the said strip comprising a longitudinally extending vertically disposed spacing rib, an integral spanning surface transverse to said spacing rib, a corner member complementary to said rib and spanning "surface, the said corner member having a central ribbed portion in alinement with said spacing rib, the outer limits of said corner member being deflned by parallel extending ribs having a curvature suitable for contact with rounded angular srfaces whereby the connection between said abutting plane surfaces will be substantially streamlined.

2. In a flller strip of substantially T-crosssection comprising a longitudinally extending spacing rib, a spanning longitudinal surface transverse to said spacing rib, a corner member extendible with said strip, the said corner member having means for contact with abutting transversely positioned and oppositely disposed plane surfaces, a central rib integral with said corner member for the attachment of the latter -to a rim' portion, curved ribbing onl said corner member whereby continuous contact with rounded rim portions of said plane surfaces is obtained.

3.' The combination of a rimmed flxture having a backboard, a filler strip therefor of substantially T-cross-section comprising a longitudinally extending spacing rib portion, a spanning surface' portiontransverse to said spacing rib portion, a comer member complementary to said strip, the said comer member having fillet means whereby intimate contact with a curved portion of the ,rim of said flxture is obtained, the said rib portion having one end relieved to provide for a substantially unbroken connection with a flllet with the said backboard.

joining .the rim portion t FRANK P. UPHUES. 

